FAMU Band to Stay Off the Field Until 2013

*The infamous Florida A&M University Marching 100 is suspended for another year following the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion this past November.

The FAMU’s president, James Ammons, told the school board of trustees that he’s keeping them off the field until 2013 as 11 of band members face felony-hazing charges. Two others face misdemeanor counts.

“I think there is a period we should take that these measures are in place and we have addressed all the institutional issues,” Ammons said.

Top officials agree with the move. Gov. Rick Scott and the university system chancellor say the band should remain seated until the investigation concludes.

Frank Brogan, the chancellor of the State University System of Florida, told Ammons that, “reinstating the band prior to these efforts being resolved would side-step efforts under way, which could impact the band’s long-term survival.”

He added that both he and the state panel that oversees the overall university system were worried that “concerns continue to mount regarding the ever-increasing body of issues that harm the institution, its students, and therefore our state university system as a whole.”

6 thoughts on “FAMU Band to Stay Off the Field Until 2013”

This is definitely a FAMU issue. I graduated from a HBCU college majoring in music, so I know pretty much what goes on in a HBCU band. I NEVER had to go through any hazing ritual to be in the band. First of all, why do you want to hurt someone that you need to perform with? My band director didn’t even allow you to play any extra cirricular sports (pick up basketball games..etc) because he was afraid you would hurt your lip and wouldn’t be able to play….especially if you were on a band scholarship. FAMU with 400 plus members could afford to lose up to 100 plus players and still could a good sound. Most bands lose 30 members and your band was seriously affected. FAMU’s problem was a failure to monitor and a lack of institutional control. How on heaven’s earth do you have 100 plus people in band not supposed to be in the band or enrolled in school? I have heard for years that FAMU used people outside the school to march in their performances. Hopefully, this will end the madness that was going on.

Yes, I have heard that some college bands in south like Jackson State and Southern University did do some hazing sometime ago. But, I am in a band fraternity and have played with and talked to many, many band members in the CIAA, MEAC, SIAC, and the SWAC conferences and I have never heard of anything like what FAMU did. Like I said before, I went to a southern college and I can tell you that no one ever put a hand on me. Now, grant you, this was back 25-30 years ago, so maybe things were different. Yes, we worked hard and practiced long hours in the heat…sometimes to midnight during homecoming week. Hell, that was hazing to me.

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